This talk will focus on the work of the 25 year old Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), founded by former U.S. Congresswoman Bella Abzug, Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai, and other visionary women leaders. Eleanor will examine the challenges, milestones and current strategies for undertaking advocacy and movement building at the intersection of women’s rights and environment. What are the connections between gender equality, environment and climate change? How are women’s groups mobilizing in the United States and around the world to demand climate justice?

Eleanor Blomstrom is the Co-Director and Head of Office at the Women’s Environment & Development Organization (WEDO), based in New York. With a women’s human rights and justice lens, she focuses on sustainable development, climate change and urbanization, incorporating research, capacity building, and global-level advocacy at multiple UN fora, including the UNFCCC (climate change) and the 2030 sustainable development agenda. Eleanor is co-lead of the Women’s Major Groups for Sustainable Development and for Disaster Risk Reduction, which continues WEDO’s long-standing role of facilitating space for women’s rights advocacy, organizing and action. Working in collaboration with key women’s and civil society allies, this work has impacted the gender equality language outcomes of recent international agreements and will support implementation.

Prior to WEDO, Eleanor worked on climate change projects ranging from green roofs to waste management to adaptation. She also has community development experience in the areas of agriculture and women’s empowerment with organizations in Nicaragua and Nigeria. Her current work is informed by a professional background in bilingual elementary education with a focus on race and gender equity in public schools. Eleanor holds a Master of International Affairs in Urban and Environmental Policy and a Bachelor degree in Environmental Sciences.

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